Marcelle Pierson

Marcelle Pierson is a Teaching Associate Professor of Music Theory and Chair of the DEI Committee at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music. Her interdisciplinary scholarship examines connections between music, ethics, and politics, particularly in postwar modernism, with expertise in vocality, timbre, and compositional aesthetics.

Her research investigates:

• Post-World War II melodic abstraction
• Materiality of voice and sound
• Intersections of composition and critical theory

Publications analyze modernist works by Nono, Stockhausen, and Reich, exploring vocal expression, technical craftsmanship, and listener experience. She has developed Pitt's theory curriculum to encompass diverse genres including Western classical and popular music.